Standing Next To You
Chapter 598: Return to River Village

Chapter 598: Return to River Village

The fire in the fireplace crackled gently. Grandma Bei, Maid Ye Zhai, and Bei Sangyun huddled together, warming themselves with mugs of local hot chocolate.

It was the fifth day of their travels abroad—and their last day in the northern part of the world.

As the three of them were nearly dozing off, Bei Sangyun suddenly received a message.

It was from the old artisan. The watch had been finished.

It was completed a week earlier than expected. Bei Sangyun was thrilled and wanted to see it in person. But since she was still on the trip, she couldn’t pick it up herself. Instead, she told the artisan someone else would collect it on her behalf.

After the call, Bei Sangyun messaged Zhong Cheng and asked him to pick it up for her.

The next day, just as she arrived in another country, she received a reply. Zhong Cheng had collected the watch. Coincidentally, he was also on a business trip in the same country and offered to drop it off in person.

"Alright. We’re staying at the Sunshine Hotel. If you’re already there, call me. I’ll text you our room number."

Grandma Bei overheard her conversation. "Do you have something to take care of?"

"Oh, it’s just something I asked to be dropped off at our room tomorrow."

Grandma Bei looked at her with guilt. She gently held Bei Sangyun’s hand and smiled apologetically. "You have so much work to handle, and yet you’re putting me first. I know you went through so much trouble just to grant your greedy grandma’s request. Thank you, my dear."

"It’s no trouble at all, Grandma. And you’re not greedy," Bei Sangyun said sincerely. "I’m actually glad we took this trip. This is the break I didn’t realize I needed. So thank you, Grandma."

Grandma Bei smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "Even when you have your own family in the future, still visit me, okay? If life ever gets hard, come to me."

"You’re talking like that again. Are you planning to send me off somewhere?" Bei Sangyun chuckled.

Grandma Bei only smiled. "If only I could keep you forever..." she muttered.

....

It was in the afternoon when Zhong Cheng arrived at the hotel. Fortunately, they were nearby, visiting the Twin Towers.

Bei Sangyun looked at the mesmerizing watch on display. What she had imagined from the original sketch couldn’t even come close to how incredible the real watch looked. It was ten—no, a hundred—times better in real life.

"This watch is so cool I almost snatched it for myself, you know," Zhong Cheng said, eyeing the watch greedily. "I’d be willing to spend half a year’s income on this masterpiece, but the old man refuses to make another."

Bei Sangyun chuckled. "Too bad for you—I called dibs first."

"But I’m the one who found that artisan," Zhong Cheng grumbled.

Bei Sangyun reached behind her and handed him a package. "It’s his final piece, and he won’t be making another like it. So stop dreaming. This isn’t quite the same, but I hope you like it."

Zhong Cheng stared at the bag in stunned silence. It was from a luxury watch brand. When he opened the box, he found one of the newest limited-edition models—only five of them existed in the world, and it came with an exorbitant price tag.

And right now, one of them was in his hands.

Tearing up a little, Zhong Cheng looked at Bei Sangyun. "Boss... is this really for me?"

"I realized I’ve never given you a gift before—not even once. You’ve worked hard for me all these years. Consider this a small token of appreciation."

Zhong Cheng quickly fastened the watch around his wrist. "I never imagined you’d give me a gift. Thank you, Boss! I’ll treasure it. Even if I run out of money one day, this will be the last thing I’d ever sell!"

"Why would you run out of money in the future? Are you gambling?" Bei Sangyun narrowed her eyes.

"I’m not, Boss! I was just trying to express how much I appreciate this." Zhong Cheng defended himself quickly.

"Good. You’d better not pick up any bad habits." Then, she shifted the conversation toward the company, asking about a few matters she had forgotten to discuss over the phone.

They ended up chatting for a while. And when night fell, Zhong Cheng finally left the hotel.

Bei Sangyun carefully held the box with Fei Chuan’s watch. She couldn’t wait to give it to him. The design matched her earrings and necklace perfectly. Anyone who saw the set would instantly know—they were a couple.

A warm smile spread across her face as she imagined Fei Chuan wearing the watch.

...

The trip lasted two more days. Just as Bei Sangyun was planning their next destination, Grandma Bei suddenly said she wanted to return to their home country.

"You want to go back? There are still a few countries left to visit." Bei Sangyun was stunned. On the list Grandma Bei had given her, five destinations remained unchecked.

"I’ve seen enough," Grandma Bei said softly. "Being abroad made me miss my garden at home. I want to eat mapo tofu. The peppers in my garden must have ripened by now."

Bei Sangyun was at a loss for words. But Grandma Bei didn’t seem to be joking. She gently put the list aside and nodded, still a little confused. "Alright... When do you want to return?"

"Tomorrow."

As Grandma Bei wished, the three of them returned to Country C.

On the way home, Grandma Bei held tightly onto Bei Sangyun’s hand and didn’t let go. She kept reminiscing about Sangyun’s childhood.

"Do you remember the first fish you caught in the river? It was so bony that I didn’t want to grill it, but you insisted," Grandma Bei said, her voice full of warmth.

Bei Sangyun laughed as the memory came back to her. Though it had been a long time, that moment had left a deep impression—it was her first catch, and the joy and sense of achievement were unforgettable.

"Yeah, in the end I got poked by a bone. But I couldn’t complain because you’d scold me."

"I know. I was waiting for you to cry and say a bone got stuck in your throat," Grandma Bei chuckled. "But you just kept drinking water, trying to hold back your tears. I was angry, but I couldn’t scold you—you tried so hard."

"It really hurt, Grandma. That’s why I didn’t go fishing for a long time after that."

They laughed, talked about the past, and shared things Bei Sangyun had never realized as a child—things she only now understood.

"I used to hate that town," Grandma Bei said after a pause. "All they ever did was gossip and ruin people’s lives with rumors. But I had nowhere else to go, so I raised you there. I was afraid they’d treat you the same way they treated your mother. That’s why I always told you not to rely on anyone in town. But looking back, I realize now that it was my own anger and close-mindedness that made things harder for you."

Bei Sangyun leaned her head gently on Grandma Bei’s shoulder. "You did all that because you cared and worried about me."

Grandma Bei patted her head tenderly. "My life was hard, full of struggles... but I think God compensated me by giving me you. Thank you for being my granddaughter."

Bei Sangyun looked up at her with a warm smile. "And I’m thankful that you’re my grandmother."

Grandma Bei smiled back, her eyes beginning to turn red. Before the tears could fall, she quickly wiped them away.

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